Opinions

Washington for the 22nd DistrictIt’s impossible to attend a Fluvanna Board of Supervisors meeting without hearing grumblings about our state representatives in Richmond and the unfunded mandates they bestow upon our county.

We now have the opportunity to send someone to Richmond that actually understands the economic struggles we face in Fluvanna. It’s hard to imagine a lawyer from Lynchburg can do that for the mostly rural areas of the 22nd District.

It is never too late to express congratulations and gratitude to everyone involved in Fluvanna’s top showing in the 2015-16 SOL pass rates in reading and math: the Board of Supervisors, the Fluvanna School Board, Superintendent Gena Keller and her team of dedicated teachers, administrators and support staff and, of course, the hard-working, learning students themselves.

The schools’ pass rates bettered those for Virginia as a whole and those for Charlottesville and Albemarle, Buckingham, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson and Orange Counties. Guess we can lay claim to best in Central Virginia.

It is a stunning and welcome turnaround from just a few years ago when SOL pass rates were lagging, school budgets were strangled, teachers were leaving and morale was in the toilet.

We hope the cooperative spirit continues. It augurs well for a future of capable, well-equipped young adults and for the society in which they will take their place.

Voter fraud?Contrary to the assertion made in Mr. and Mrs. Hoover’s letter to the editor, I firmly believe voter fraud does exist. I do not know how prevalent voter fraud may be and will not try to provide any statistical reports to back up my beliefs, but will point out the following line in the Hoovers’ letter: “Or look at studies published by Columbia University, The Washington Post and Arizona State University, among others, which came to the same conclusion – voter fraud is nearly nonexistent.”

“Nearly nonexistent” and nonexistent convey two different meanings. Nonexistent means that it does not exist. “Nearly nonexistent” does not mean that it does not exist. The inclusion of the word “nearly” definitely leaves an opening for argument that voter fraud does in fact exist. If you can remember following Obama’s election, there was a lady on national television who proudly proclaimed she had voted six times for Obama. Is this not voter fraud? The attempt to register 19 deceased individuals in Virginia, though not successful, is definitely an attempt at voter fraud. Though these 19 were identified, how many have slipped through and successfully cast fraudulent ballots?
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Blame party for not listening to peopleSadly, I saw the Trump takeover coming. I had a bad feeling as I realized that the Democratic National Committee had been scheming for Hillary’s coronation for years. They seemed to stifle Bernie Sanders at every turn through electioneering during the primaries. Things could have gone a lot differently if the primaries were totally free and fair. That, coupled with the media who dismissed him from the start, proved to be too much to overcome.

Bernie would have thousands at his rallies, yet the media was mum until they finally had to give him a little coverage. Too little, too late. They seemed to relish the dung hurling circus that Trump, the greatest media manipulator of all time, was providing them. It was great for ratings, which translates into more money. It’s all about the cash, right? What kind of scandals would Bernie have provided for the talking heads to ruminate about? None!

The fact is that Bernie’s message of bringing back the middle class and reining in oligarchs would have resounded with the same folks that supported Trump. But the message never got out. People were angry, and Queen Hillary wasn’t going to assuage that frustration.

To paraphrase George Carlin: “We can choose between 20 kinds of bagels, but we only have these two to choose from?”

Bernie would have been successful as a third party candidate – one that people could support rather than the old and tired “lesser of two evils” nonsense.

But going forward I agree with President Obama: “The sun will rise in the morning.”

We will survive. Humanity always does. But in the short run, I feel bad for every minority group in this country – Blacks, Latinos, LGBTs, Asians, Native Americans, not to mention the poor, the elderly trying to live on scant means, and the sick.

I don’t hate Trump, and I hope and pray to any and everything sacred, that he can rise to the occasion of being a true leader. What we need now is compassion and understanding at all levels.

Second Amendment not for intimidationAs a firm believer in the rights of gun owners, I am offended with the incident outside the Democratic campaign office on Oct. 13.The Second Amendment should not be used as a political statement, nor used as a tactic to intimidate others.The actions of this individual, while legal, gave “ammunition” to anti-gun advocates’ requests for tougher gun laws.My apology to Ms. Wolff that she had to endure this situation, and thanks to the sheriff’s department for their tireless work.